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Atlanta, GA MC Señor Kaos is an artist I wanted to keep on my radar ever since I came across his Walk Softy & Carry a Big Brick and Swagger is Nothing, Talent is Everything mix tapes. Recently, I missed his bangin' Bad Bad Man track featuring Stat Quo & Ekundayo, but caught the Strange Day B-side and a new track with DJ Eleven in time to share.

If you happen to be going to the AC3 Festival next week, Señor Kaos will be hitting the stage on Saturday October 9th.

Amsterdam duo La Melodia, consisting of MC Melodee and DJ/Producer I.N.T., have been inseparable since their first official collaborative 12" entitled Dough/For You released in 2004. Since then, Melodee and I.N.T. have been building on their initial chemistry and have molded quite an overseas presence and buzz around the independent hip hop community worldwide. In 2005 they were invited to hop on the Stones Throw Massacre Tour in; in 2006 they were offered a record deal in Japan to release their debut album, Vibing High, which was also picked up by another European label and released internationally; and have continued a strong touring presence in the US and abroad (CMJ, SXSW, etc.) to this day.

In 2010, La Melodia is fired up and ready to release more music to the masses on their own imprint, La Melodia Records. Keeping up with current media trends, the duo decided not to release any full length albums and instead plan to frequently release "mini" albums. Their latest seven track EP, Electronic Love, is the first installment and is now available on vinyl (+ a bonus track) or digitally via Bandcamp.

Below is a sample of my favorite track from the new record, Electronic Love, which shows what La Melodia is all about-- sexy, electronic hip hop that's not afraid to tackle everything that surrounds the word love.

Mississippi MC Tito Lopez was another young up and comer that was on my radar before my internet hiatus and DotGotIt's post from earlier today reminded me of his raw talent. Fade me, produced by King I Divine, is off of Def Sounds' upcoming mix tape, Hip Hop Overdose Vol. 1, which is yet to receive an official release date.

German producer, XL TheRedOne released his debut instrumental album, The Creation, earlier this year in affiliation with his Westwood Connection DJ/production crew. The 26-track beat tape is loaded with Kan Kick like loops and small backwood blunted beams of his potential such as the driving alone at 4am soundtrack Midnight, the blustery Windy City, and flea circus like Circles. Fans of the aforementioned Kanzulu and instrumentals that could be packaged with a box of Nag Champa should click the free download below.

Atlanta based MC Quanstar hooks up with Jurassic 5 spitter Akil the MC on a nice cut from Quanstar's 2010 release, The Underdog. Name your price.

Zion I has been touring with the Santa Barbara based reggae band Rebelution almost all year, so I knew it was only a matter of time before a collaboration track was birthed. Many Stylez is the first leak from the forthcoming sixth studio album from Zumbi and Amp Live entitled Atomic Clock. On November 9th, long time Zion I fans can expect the groups first full on reggae and dub influenced album, a genre they have casually mixed into their records before with beautiful end results.

If you want to catch both Rebelution and Zion I on their Fall Tour, be sure to check out their respective home pages and don't miss out-- Zion puts on a can't miss show! Austinites: Oct 10th at ACL.

In a few weeks I am planning on posting Whiskeyteeth's version of the XXL's popular Freshman list (I'm sure your ass is dangling off the edge of your computer chair in anticipation). So far the list has been kept very hush-hush-- no leaks, no message board postings, no top tweets-- but I can't take it anymore; it's time to reveal the first MC of our 2010 New School Rising.

Windy City raised now Smog City settled MC Open Mike Eagle has found quite a comfy nest amongst LA's sky scraping palm trees. The peculiar art rap proprietor has single handedly revived the spirit of Project Blowed, while adding vivid strokes of color to an already brilliant Southern California scene. His debut album, Unapologetic Art Rap, has launched his music into the blogosphere where it has been met with hugs and hand pounds from the web's worthiest taste-makers. Rightfully so considering the album transcends trendsetting and instead gives hip hop's starving underworld a fearless classic full of razor sharp wit and mind boggling mic skills.

Out first official freshman from our New School Rising list has just sent over a new loosie for us to feast on. I'll let him dish out the info:

Alwayz Prolific from the beat collective E. Super is a producer I frequently work with. He produced “Art Rap Party”, “Mistakes” and co-produced “Helicopter” and “Partly Cloudy” from my LP. He laced up a grimy, funky, and dark remix of Garbage Man.

Peep the download below and do yourself a favor and cop Unapologetic Art Rap on iTunes or "the way of the dinosaur".

Let's keep that wave of Swim Team love going...

Rapper's I Know presents Volume 6 of producer J Bizness' 3P Series with Swim Team MC Sahtyre; one of LA's rising lethal lyricists. The first track, Drive, sets the standard and is possibly my favorite Sahtyre tracks of all time next to Liquified Dopeness and Pure Inspiration. Check them all out below.

Swim Team is focused.

Random has had one helluva year so far.

This new Random track with Phoenix based MC Mr. Miranda is from their collaboration EP, Mirandom, and features dope verses from two of NorCal's finest in Fashawn and Mistah Fab.

You can call them the Anti-Lebrons because unlike King James, Poetic Republic, Muamin Collective, and hip hop quartet Keyel are making Cleveland proud. Building on Vol. 1, their celebrated 2009 introduction to the blogosphere, Keyel MC Twizz (formerly known as Prose) has released Summer Stars-- a 15-track mix tape that serves as a tour through the world of Twizz and his partners in rhyme.

Below are two of my favorite tracks and the full download (you can also stream and sample via the bandcamp page).

A few months ago I was singing the praises of Chicago MC RacecaR; an incredibly slept on talent that some might know as 1/2 of Modill alongside producer K-Kruz. Since his Debilorithmicos feature, I made it a point to keep in contact with him and all his musical endeavors, a connection that quickly paid off when this dope record hit my inbox-- RacecaR and Apoc's (better known as Langston Bukowski) collaboration album, Down & Out in Chicago and Los Angeles.

Featuring production from Earmint, Rel, and K-Kruz, RacecaR and Apoc trade vicious verses over a riot of electro spiked foundations. This is quite a different sound environment for RacecaR, who usually has his feet propped up on K-Kruz' dusty jazz clouds, but the dude was blessed with one of those Black Thought flows that sounds good over any type of sample or instrument.

Peep two of my favorite tracks from the free album below and continue to get yourself affiliated with Modill & RacecaR by downloading it in full and checking the other tracks I tossed up. If you like what you hear, the full PHYSICAL version of the album (along with the 320 kbps digital version) is available to purchase for the gracious and meager price of 5 bones. Cough it up!

Armed with an alluring flow that unveils haphazardly like stop motion animation, Portland, Oregon rookie MC Cloudy October demands your full attention from the first bar uttered and beyond. The alternate take of "inlaw", the opening track of his debut album The Aviator is Dead EP, proves my bold claim as Cloudy's tongue pirouettes around a patchwork beat dripping with eerie bass, spooky string scales, and various piano loops. Much like "inlaw", his oddball poetics and infectious delivery on "Lowerface" is also sure to grab underground hip hop fan's attention, as he bounces up and down through a foggy landscape of dark drums and tribal smoked sounds.

Underground hip hop has changed a lot over the past few years: Instead of angst fueled technical raps over abstract production, we have glittery, emotionally charged rhymes over electro-tickled laptop experiments; instead of apocalyptic poetry, we have love letters turned into rap lyrics; instead of Definitive Jux, some would say we have definitive junk. I'm open eared to the new indie hip hop vibe, but it is kind of refreshing to hear that old subterranean sound rise back to the surface.

Cloudy October embodies it and bodies it, so enjoy the EP and the two tracks below on your cloudy October day.

A few days late on this one, but in all honesty I've been sleeping on Jon Hope since day one. His latest mixtape, WaterFire, will command your attention with its emotionally drenched content and Hope's fiery passion on the microphone that glides effortlessly over Taktix's pristine production. Brought to you by DJBooth.net. Sample + full download below.

Co$$ is preparing the release of his new mix tape with producer Numonics called Revelations. The tape will be released as a free download tomorrow (October 21st) and features guest vocals from Sene and Freddie Gibbs. Check out the leaks I missed below, along with the brand new leak "Gone" featuring Mr. Gibbs.